Steam accumulator



ug. 2:1, m5.' c. v. Mcm-NRE @mais STEAM ACCUMULATOR Filed Jan. 30, 1935 A INVENTQR'` CHARLES V. Mc Imm ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 27, 1935 YUNITED STATES 2.012.315 STEAM ACCUMULATOR. 1 Charles V, Mclntire, Short Hills, N. J.; assignor to Semet-Sclvay Engineering Corporation, New York, N. Y., a` corporation of New York Antlieetien Jennery 3.0i 19.33, Serial Ne- 654,138

5 Claims. (Cl. 122-35) This invention relates to steam anillmulators and more particularly to steam aclllllulntol for storing low pressure steam for use in generating water gas. t

Qneobject ofthe invention is `to provide a steam accumulator which brings about intensive circulation of water and insures a rapid and ef,- iicient transfer of heat from incoming steam to the water in the accumulator.

Another object of the invention is to provide a steam accumulator in which the circulation Vof the vWater is aided by the positive discharge force of steam beingstored. y

A further object of the invention is to provide a steam accumulator which Will store low pressure `,exhaust steam 'from steam driven engines and turbines so that this steam can later be utilized in some other operation, as for example in the generationrfof water gas by passage into the generator and superheater of theiusual Water gas set(` 1 A A further object ofthe invention is to provide such accumulator with a control for introducing make-up high pressure steam into the outlet from the accumulator Whenever the supply of 10W -pressurev'steam in the accumulator is unable to` meet thedemandfor steam. i S

It is-now common practice to construct steam accumulatore in such a manner that distributor `heated, whereas the Water inthe lower portion off-the accumulator, with whichthe steam does lnotvvcome in contact, remains comparatively cool.

Moreover, since hot Water is lighter in weight than -cold Water, there is llittle or' no tendency `for the cold-Water to rise and become heated. Consep quentlypoor heat transfer between incoming steam andwater in .the accumulator and low' steam generating ei-liciency of the accumulator result;

The accumulator of this invention is so de vsigned that a positive and rapid cir culation ot the neneeth the -.surfdee of .the weiterlne tenue .ef the diseliaiteine from thence nenales causes .-.eteulation in the accumulator resulting in meximum heat transfer and very high ererall eflieeney. Y a l or a betterunde'rstanding of the invention,

referente Should be mede te ine eeeeinnnnyine i sitewide! Wheiein is. entre ny wey et illue'tretien' e Preferred 'embodiment eff the' 'inYentieM in the dnwine 7 itie- 1 is e eide elevetien et the eeeuniulnter .ef this invention eduinned. Witn e e'enti'el ,fei'ifeeuletf ine the eupnly ef eutle'teteein:

tienel ,eide elevetinn Fien ie e fieeinenteiy Se renewing the erieneeinentei Pininefend. tienes in tne .interieittlie eeeuinuleter:

ne s is e renverse endeten@ nein tue Fia d .in en leieed .deteil .Snoring tne eenetruetien ef tlie inieeteie et the dieenei'ee end ef the distributorpiplee.

ne elieu'n in `lfleuiee, l and the ,nenni-ne- .euinuleter .eninnrises erlindrieel teni# l tering e inlet nine 3, innn e .deurne ,et .1er pree- .eteein nenneeted with ,Steein t `.efdnrteel Ete lieleenedtn tne nurtene nii rei/er een-,teined in eeid tnnls- Tne tank is provided with e eniteble ,indieetnr einen ne .gege ed that the weter let/el .een ,readily be ,Observed Qtdinen'ly the tank is kept about .two-thirds .full of Water, as shown in Fig. 3, so that a suitable stenti,1 Speee l will ne prerided between the Surface di the `Weiter end the top df -tlie tenk- 'Te .eeen

dside ,oi the lower nertiennt the tienden il elfe .eented e Series di upwardly end eutwnrdlyentendine dietiibuter Pines? provided .et their dieeneree ende with Suitable. Steeininieetere IU- ne enewn in ,Fia fi, .eeen Sten-in ,injecter .,eenintieee e reentinl .dieelaree nenne 1| l in 4 tiieidiru .et e truncated eene. Surneunded by, end supnertine ley ineeneni euiteble-Webs ,l .2., e leiser nellew truncated eene le 'lnetereegei theeteem leeviriedieeneieenetffne Il ,eenden weiter te v,lee drawn ,thrduehtliefennuler erede eerdere-tine tile dieeheree nenne U end the vlenireundiinr .eene ,It end te tereed with the Steam thin-uen ine dieeneiee ,end t4 et eteein ;.inie,et9i

Deileetei' platee il eue eenneeted .tetetn sides .di the vuriner edition .of the ,Steam header Ltend Aendend horizontally nutreitd over the dieeheree .ende et .tne `distidluuterv pines .9 tries. -2 and ,39.

PAT-ENT ,OFFICE bis These deilector plates preferably extend the entire length of the steam header. A set of angular baffle plates I8 extending the entire length of the tank are supported by arms or brackets 22 Welded or otherwise joined to the tank walls and the baille plates I8. The baffle plates, are preferably disposedon opposite sides of the center linevof the tank, as shown in Fig. 3, and rise verticallyl upwardly from a level near Vthe bottom of the tank to a level about one-third the way up. They then diverge outwardly and upwardly, ending at a level about half way up the tank and below the discharge outlet of the injector nozzles. They thus provide with the walls vof the tank l and with the horizontal defleotor'plates Il' suitable channels in which the .water will circulate, as shown by the. arrows in Fig. 3. y

As shown in Fig. l, steam leaving' the accumulator passes from the dome i9 through' discharge.

line 20 tothe point of consumption. Inserted in the line isa low pressure regulating valve 2l for cfontrollingthe discharge pressure. A small offtake line 23 leads from discharge line 2i) at a pointr after the regulating valve 2l to a diaphragm device 25 provided with diaphragm 26. Aspring 28'holds rod 29 firmly against the diaphragm so that any movement of the diaphragm V`will* be transmitted to the rod. Movement of the rod 29 actuates electric switch 3i which in turn, through suitable wiring 32, controls the operation of electric motor 33. Shaft of the electric" motor is connected through suitable gearing 36 to crank or lever arm 3l and linkage 38 whereby rotation of the motor shaft results in a proportional longitudinal movement of the linkage. The linkage is connected through extension arm d with low pressure regulating jvalve v2l 'and through Yextension arm il with a control valve 43 in high pressure steam makerup line lili leading into the low pressure steam discharge line 20. Bothrthe low pressureV regulating valve 2| and the high pressure control valve43 are suitably counterweighted so that the valve 2l has a Atendency to open and thecontro valve 43 has a tendency to close. u

suitable-pressure relief valve d5 is provided steam inlet pipe 2- which valve will open when 'the pressurein the accumulator or in the steam inlet line rises above a predetermined point and will Vrelease excess steam to the atmosphere. A bypass line 46 is also inserted vbetween the inlet and discharge lines soy that low pressure steam @may befsent Ydirectlyrto'the point of consump- -tion Without iirst passing through the water in the accumulator. l y

' *"The operation of the apparatus is as follows:

Low pressure steam entering the accumulator through inlet pipe 2 passes into the steam header 4 insideV the accumulator tank and is forced through the vnumerous distributing -pipes upwardly into the water contained in the tank. As Yitleaves thedistributingpipes, the steam passes through steam injectors and forces the surrounding'fwater upwardly and outwardly in the directionrof the steam discharge. This rbrings about an intimate mixing of the steam with the Qwater'whereby the steam iscooled and condensed vand the water heated. The force of the steam causes the Water to -iiow past: thebaiile andy deflector'plates onboth sides of the injectors and be forced against the sides of the tank. This displacement causes a simultaneous rise of coldv i water the central channel between the angular baille plates in thelower'portion ofthe tank.

This'in turn causes the water in the outer chanyof diaphragm 25 and rod 29.

' standing thereof.

nels between the baffle plates and the sides of the tank to flow in a downward direction into the central channel between the baille plates. An improved positive circulation is thus set up due to the force of the steam discharging into the water in an upward direction and due to the injector action of the nozzles causing upward iiow of the colder water near the base of the tank.

The steam which is accumulated in the tank is conducted to the point of consumption through discharge line 2li and low pressure control valve This consumption of steam will cause the pressure in the accumulator to decrease except when they input of steam equals the momentary demand. Such diminution in pressure will be transmitted through line 23 causing a movement This movement will close electric switch 3l, and cause motor 33 to rotate in such a direction that interconnected linkage` 3B -will move in a downward direction. Weightedy extension arm will thus bemoved in a downward direction causingA the low pressure regulating valve 2l to open and admit more low pressure steam into the discharge line. the full supply of steam contained in the accumulator is not able to meet Vthe consumption demand, the motor will continue running and linkage will continue moving in a downward direction opening the high pressure control valve 43 and causing high pressure make-up steam to be introduced into the low pressure steam line through line lid. When the supply of steam in the accumulator is again able to meet the demand or vwhen the pressure of the steam in discharge line 2] is built up to' the desire-d point, diaphragm 26 will .be forced in the opposite direction causing switch 3l to be thrown in an opposite direction. This in turn causes the directionof rotation of the electric motorto be reversed, and automati- I cally, through movement of linkage 38, the high pressure control valve Will. close. By means of v.this system of regulation a constant supply of steam at a uniform pressure from the accumulator yto the point of consumption is always insured.

It will be noted that the apparatus of vthis .r

invention is simple in construction and causes the steam which is introduced into the accumulator to set up a positive circulation of the water. Hence a very efcient heat transfer and high operating eiciency are obtained. Furthermore, an accurate means of control is provided so that a continuous supply of steam at a uniform pressure can always be obtained from the accumulator.

In connection with the above description and illustration ofv the construction and operation of this invention, it should be understood that these are merely for the purpose of clarifying an under- Various modifications of the forms and arrangements of the parts may be made without departing from this invention.

I claim: Y 1. A vsteam accumulator comprising a tank adapted to-contain water,y a steam header in the tank, and upwardly directed distributor pipes'extending 'from the lower portion of the steam header, and extending in different directions with respect to'each other,v said pipes being adapted `to discharge steam into the water.

In case l 2. A steam accumulator comprising a tank con- *il taining water, a steam header extending horizontally below the surface of the water, a series of distributor pipes directed upwardly from both sides of said steam header adapted to discharge steam into the water, and injector nozzles connected to the discharge ends of said distributor pipes, each injector nozzle comprising a central discharge nozzle and a surrounding cone, said cone being spaced from said discharge nozzle and providing therewith an annular'space through which water is drawn by the force of discharging steam, said cone decreasing in diameter in the direction of flow therethrough.

3. A steam accumulator comprising a tank adapted to contain a liquid, a steam header in said tank, distributor pipes directed upwardly from said steam header, and baille plates each having one portion extending at an angle to another portion the top of one baffle plate being located between the steam header and one side of the tank and the top of another baie plate being located between the header and the other side of the tank.

4. A steam accumulator comprising a tank adapted to contain water, a steam header in said tank, distributor pipes extending from said header, baiiie plates in the lower part of the tank on opposite sides of the said header, and injector nozzles on the distributor pipes directed over the tops of the baille plates to set up a circulation of Water around the bale plates by the injector action of the discharging steam.

5. A steam accumulator comprising a tank adapted to contain water, a steam header in said tank, distributor pipes directed divergingly upward from both sides of the lower portion of said steam header adapted to discharge steam into the water, horizontal deflector plates extending from both sides of the upper portion of the steam header and baie plates immersed in the water and supported in the lower portion of the tank on each side of the steam header, each baie plate having one portion extending at an angle to an- 20 other portion.

CHARLES V. 'MCINTIRR 

